Commitment to community
Hunter River man building apartments in former church
HUNTER RIVER, P.E.I. – When the big church on the hill in Hunter River went up for sale, one lifelong resident was moved to save the landmark structure.
Brimming with ideas, contractor Kris Taylor purchased the former St. Mary’s Catholic Church in 2019, and he took Saltwire Network on a tour of the work-in-progress on May 12.
“I just hate to see things go to a landfill that could have use. I mean, the lumber could last another 200 years in this thing. To haul it all away and put it in landfill, I just don’t like that at all.”
The church was a substantial structure with a good foundation and a view of the entire village, all of which attracted Taylor to the site.
“A church goes for sale or there’s an old house that needs to be fixed up – if it was one of the first houses in the community it’s probably in the best place for a house to be,” he said.
The project started out in 2019 with a renovation permit to make six units in the 10,000-foot-square church. But he realized those would be too pricy for most renters and that didn’t sit well with Taylor. He wanted to make sure there was something for all incomes.
“It’s not about the rents, it’s about saving this building for the community,” he said.
The project has since turned into a 17-unit complex of two-bedroom apartments complete with a common room, an elevator and six affordable units. Although the exterior has been altered to accommodate the renovation, the church’s steeple still soars skyward, the first sign of the village to appear to travelers as they crest the hill from Charlottetown. The former belfry that pealed to announce services and special occasions from the 1940s until 2008, now houses a clock tower.
OLD AND NEW
Taylor is not new to the restoration/renovation game. He transformed a former wooden church in the community into Harmony House theatre and renovated the building that used to house a doctor’s office.
“I grew up here,” he said and pointed out a window opening, “In that house there, with those two red barns. I just see a lot of opportunity in my community to do things, and that’s really important to me.”
Taylor worked in Hunter River for 21 years a pharmacist, but always loved to work with his hands. So, when he
felt it was time for a change, no one was surprised at his career move into construction.
He spent around 18 months gutting the structure himself, salvaging materials and making the building square and level.
He collected stained glass, flooring and rough-hewn planks and beams and plans to incorporate as much of the original materials as possible in this new project.
He even lifted off some of the church’s original rafters, which he used to frame a new roof in a different part of the building.
“Right now, there’s such a push to get to a point where the next trade can move in … this stuff kind of becomes the extra stuff that takes extra time to do. But I think if I don’t do it, the building won’t shine like it really could and have that heritage feel that it should,” he said.
KEEPING IT AFFORDABLE
The new apartments will be a welcome addition to the community, especially the affordable units, which are helped along financially by the Community Housing Fund administered by the Canadian Mental Health Association.
Applications go before a six-person committee with two members each from the province, the CMHA and community groups said Jason Doyle, the director of housing services with the Department of Social Development and Housing.
“There’s definitely a lot going on right now,” said Doyle who spoke with Saltwire Network on May 12.
Unlike the province’s Affordable Housing Development Program which rents the units to individuals and families on the province’s social housing registry, the Community Housing Fund means the units will remain in control of the building owner. Taylor will choose who will live in the six subsidized units.
Currently, the province manages 1,600 affordable housing units, but it’s not enough for everyone. There are 370 individuals or families on the social housing registry.
Doyle estimated there were around five projects in various stages of the application process and between six and 10 currently under construction.
“The need is primarily located within the larger municipalities, Charlottetown, Summerside, Montague areas,” said Doyle.
That said, there is funding
for projects in any community.
“We don’t necessarily restrict ourselves just to those municipalities that have the highest need. If there’s a project and there’s an identified need in a certain location … we’ll certainly look at it,” said Doyle, adding the project may lend itself better to the Affordable Housing Development Program or the Community Housing Fund.
“I would say the interest in the program has certainly increased over the last couple of years,” said Doyle.